QD, thanks. I thought it might function like a player piano (include a roll/cylinder or perforated paper).
Think I'd rather have someone controlling it; need a keyboard for that...
Updated the above version (bass pipe, pedals, tuning sleeves...), rather than post another.

Oh (sorry): not sure if I'd be interested in a Christmas thread - but started snowing just now (snow might change my mind), lol.

i dont know why i been so sloow.. maybe i was unsecure of the submarine design. man i wasted too much time worrying about it..

so i post wip of submarine.. it is sort of mix of boat and submarine..people need breath of air as walking on the deck than sitting inside in boat i thought to change this to electrically driven but looks like front part will be visible in the image so I skip that rear part.. the submarine looks like a swordfish. hehe

Ship's sail will lighten up the image, something white in middle of this in bad light inside of the station.

2 and half weeks left. how is going for you guys..

Last edited by Tomasis on Tue Dec 14, 2010 4:15 pm; edited 1 time in total

reading your comment Matthew made me so heartbroken I had to contribute (lamenting the loss of the olden sijun and activity)

its a similar pose and idea of a sketch I reworked, so I just did the picture straight out with a few pen sketches beforehand.

the story would be that some robo s&m mistress (that those old tophat rich pervs use) for some reason or another gets wires crossed and goes haywire,and becomes some sort of supervillian that wrecks the city with her merciless schemes and calculated evil!

Lemur, wow it's really great, you captured that steampunk feeling with the tonal hue, same as fripp did. Regarding the threads, well things are what they are. At least I gave it a try.
With that said I guess I could have kept continuing posting, however it is just the same in the 3d thread, it becomes too strange to just keep posting for the sake of posting.
Haha guess I am getting old...

OK well, story is supposed to be somewhat related to pollution, and how the urge for better technology through the burning of fossile fuels is making the atmosphere darker by the day, and then we have this merry bunch all trying to help the world all in their own way, the girl with the casel is supposed to be the main character.

I tried to keep things simple, since I am not that big on the fantasystyle steampunk...

Lakka, Highlander comes to my mind, was it highlander 3 where the atmosphere was screwed up? I like it, you have a very interesting style.

ok I had to try another one, I usually do this steampunk stuff anyway. lol. I didn't add title on this one because the compo of the texture wouldn't let me, neither did I bring bevel on some of the parts which would be optimal. Ahh anyway, one for the activity in here.
Happy New Year everyone.

"Wheels of the machinery", in a time where the echonomic system affected the average steam factory the machinery stopped, a cost effective usage of steam had to be invented.
Question is, can we survive on steam?
Bookcover
Original 3d texture, 3d render.

Lakka-thats great, has a very mythical feel, especially with the little old man and his amazing hat. The colors are far out too, I would've never had the guts to try that!

Quintus- I like this, its something I wouldn't have thought of with no characters or anything. It has a look of a very epic book with heavy social commentary lol. I think a cover like that is good for a very heavy book cause it hints at the story but doesn't really state anything specific about the story, sortof mysterious.

Lemur, yea it was hard this theme because one got confused on where to put the focus, on character or more steam technology?
However, I very much like this steampunk but at the same time it is very difficult to depict, if you can call it that? lol, well anyway.
You know I was actually thinking about a echonomic book or similar, one of those older ones which comes in volumes of ten or something hehe.

Tomasis, As Lemur said I am excited to see what you have been working on, post what you have now if you want?

..

P.S. -I asked for this thread to be a non-sticky, if so happens I would rather see a new theme sometime as a sticky. We could always bump this one if we want. I could rename this thread steampunk aswell if you guys would want me to?

I'm with Tomasis, I suck at deadlines (unless it's for dodging a bus, hehe). A
good exercise though, QD; educational in several ways (including self-insight).

I vote for renaming, sure (so there's reason to bump it).

New thread... I'd like to see a *Sijun* thread, a story based on everything the
name implies/conjures: ronin, sweeping landscapes, epic battles, etc. But that's
just me.

Er, a lot of effort goes into the speedpainting thread. I wonder (again) what would
happen if all that energy was focused. That's my motivation for suggesting the
graphic novel idea (yet again) - and I'll do one of my own singlehandedly, sure
(just watch me, heh heh): pick something that seems "impossible" - and do it.

ok i worked on this recently.. Finally I can get this aside. this piece took 2 days. it didnt feel it was long time, probably I lived in the picture haha.

There is some parts I need rework and good experiments with texture brushes, like to paint water :p so i will come back with another "last" piece of WIP, means a final piece. I need a break from this and will work on another steampunk pic, more simple and it will be color version.

I noticed it is good think about blur/sharp objects. There is no feel for harmony.. when I focused on values and composition instead. I guess it is first time for me to use blur/sharp tools, hehe. also I will test with some perspective tools in PS and see if I manage understand

Tomasis, I really like what you did with your finished piece, looks
awesome. Really like the idea where the character with binocles is
looking at us the viewers, really gives it mystique for sure.
Keep it up.

I have kept working on my book texture on and off, difficulties
to make more depth and especially dead center in the piece...
Quite interesting with orthographic perspective though, makes
you un sure of where to look at the piece, hmm perhaps
something to think about... hmm.

Tomasis, I like the oily, gritty feeling - maybe mostly a result of style but
partly because of greyscale too? I'm thinking greyscale is very appropriate
for steampunk (as a genre).
----------------------

Edit:
Ah-ha, just recalled what it reminds me of: this one (below; via ref; mouse) of
Simone Weil (the day I fell in love with the muddiness of greyscale/shadows,
hehe)... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simone_Weil

Last edited by durgldeep on Wed Jan 12, 2011 1:54 pm; edited 2 times in total

I might do a non-orthographic, damn though
there goes my initial idea.
I bet aswell that you cannot have extruded parts on books either, gotta
think about the ability to handle the book and placement of it
in shelves and such.

Ahh anyway this 3d steam thingy I made wasn't really about a book anyway, needs cables and stuff now. Perhaps it could be a
matchbox haha

matthew, I have wondered what is that makes the picture a bit mystique. I guess that small parts combined in image makes the whole, maybe. for example black birds with long wings which give a bit creepy feeling along with sharp look of text. I consciously mixed values between light and shadows so the spectator feels good and creepy at the same time and see that something is going to happen soon.

regarding your piece, damn I love it, nice design. I think it is very possible to give depth in the picture with orthographic perspective. It is light, play with it, The design can be part it too but when you tilt the box, seems that it has no problems with depth. It is just my thought.

your last speedie in speed thread is so cool! damn I need learn me perspective stuffs

durgledeep, your comment got me think about how to apply brushstrokes. I like the feeling too. I will be careful that I will not end up to clean things too much that it becomes stagnated. I will keep mind of lively brushstrokes like Van dyck did :p

Cool of photo of Simone. Googled a bit and found some interesting photos.

Erico solomon, photographer

I agree with you that BW is suitable for steampunk genre. some Sepia would be good. Though it is not so important so long artist comes on idea how to convey steampunk feeling at any chosen style. When you mentioned greyscale, I think maybe i took use from my memories (consciously or subconsciously) when I spent some time with BW film photos earlier, developed prints and looked at them, there was quite amount of rich tones. For the reason I like silver stuffs a lot (film has layer of small silver crystal things) and I keep buying old cameras, lenses that give much less contrast look compared to modern lenses so it is possible to get look as you see from 1800s. I have a camera that was made year 1910, I get weird feeling when i touch it,, dont know why.. Ops sorry if I rambled much of unrelated stuffs

Lakka, I have to finish it so it ends up in my portfolio. When I thought more about it, it is really not much to do on the picture, do some touch, make corrections. I guess I will stare on the pic a pair of months before I give last push finish it by last a few percents

Tomasis, cool photo finds... Re "weird feeling", it's always nice when we can
feel the depth of history (which may or may not be what you're talking
about). Often I look at an old photo and wish I could know that person in
their own lifetime - then I get a strong sense of history (feels strange/weird).

Levels bump on this one (working very dark); obviously wip; 'piano' will have
pipes at the top; likely a moon and zeppelin too... Not sure if I'll keep the layout
(move pipe organ to the left?); would like a cathedral or something with a huge
stain glass window showing gears, etc. (rather than religious theme)... otoh,
currently it makes me think of a very bland part of town, like a street behind a
prison or something... Choices, choices.